


Shelter

by notgeorgelucas



Series: Tales from the Korraverse [8]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Gen, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-12 19:52:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11744004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notgeorgelucas/pseuds/notgeorgelucas
Summary: The Air Temple Soup Kitchen feeds so very many homeless children every day--including a sullen young firebender and his perpetually cheerfull little brother.





	Shelter

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as part of Mako Appreciation Week last year. It all started when my wife noted that Pema's VA was the one who yelled "I LOVE YOU BOLIN!" in the second episode...we got to discussing how Pema would insist that they open a soup kitchen as a haven for homeless children, and in the course of things she'd run into Mako and Bolin. 
> 
> Bolin is Pema's dream come true--he eats everything put in front of him and just swoons at how good it all is. :)

“Please, ma’am….could I have a little more?”

“Of course you can, Bolin!” Pema laughed. “We’ve got more soup here than even you could eat. Here you go.” She smiled down at the young boy as she ladled another healthy portion into his bowl. “And don’t forget to take a roll or two, either.”

“Thank you, ma’am!” Bolin was practically salivating as the aroma of carrot soup drifted around his nostrils. “Ummm, ma’am…I have two questions.”

“You go right ahead and ask them,” Pema replied.

“Well, first off…when are you going to have your baby? And secondly…” He looked around the bustling soup kitchen. “Well, my brother says nobody ever gives you something for nothing, so I was wondering what I could do to repay you for this meal.”

Pema nodded. “Well, to answer your first question, it should be sometime in the spring. And as for the second, I could certainly use someone to keep an eye on little Jinora while I sit down for a bit. In fact, I think I’m going to do that right now.” She flopped down in the chair beside the boy. “If you could do that for me, Bolin, I would be most grateful.”

“Well, I could,” he said slowly. “But Mako says that the best way to repay someone is to do hard work. I could sweep the floor, or maybe wash some dishes?” He glanced back toward the kitchen, where an armada of dirty plates, pots and pans awaited some poor acolyte.

Pema smiled and ruffled the boy’s thick hair. “That is certainly very kind of you, Bolin, and in a few years I will be happy to take you up on your generous offer. But as for now, I think watching Jinora would be the biggest help.” She looked down at his empty bowl. “My goodness. When did you eat all that?”

“A minute ago—it was delicious!” Bolin shot to his feet. “Thank you again, Mistress Pema. I’ll watch your little girl for you just as good as Mako watches me!” And with that he was off and running toward the toddling three-year old airbender.

****

He was standing at the mission front door at five as usual. “Come in here, Mako,” Pema urged. “It’s bitterly cold out there and you must be freezing.” He carefully slipped past her and settled against the wall, watching everything intently. “Are you hungry?” Pema asked as she shut the door.

“I’m okay,” he said curtly. “Where’s Bolin?”

“Well,” Pema smiled, “I’m afraid he and Jinora have settled down for an afternoon nap. He was keeping an eye on her and I guess she wore him out. Are you sure you’re not hungry?”

“You can just give it to Bolin. I’m fine.” His stomach all but roared in counterpoint.

“Well, I tell you what,” Pema suggested. “I’ve got some leftover soup from yesterday and some stale rolls that are going to be thrown away if no one takes them. I’d consider it a great favor if you sat down and ate them for me.” It was a lie, of course, but experience had taught her how to handle children like him. They were like the feral alley cats in Republic City; they refused to be coddled or pampered, but would accept offerings if presented correctly. She slowly walked over to the kitchen and retrieved a fresh bowl of soup and a few leftover rolls from noon. “Here you go.”

Mako nodded and devoured them within minutes. “I’ve got some more soup if you’d like,” Pema gently offered. After a long hesitation he nodded, and she ended up making two more trips for the poor boy. It broke her heart to see so many children come through those doors for a meal and a chance to get warm. The mission did what it could for them, but while the faces might change the numbers never shrank.

“I should repay you,” Mako said after he’d finished.

“Well, I’m sorry to say this but I really don’t have anything left for you,” Pema replied. She regarded the boy carefully and decided on something that Tenzin most certainly wouldn’t have approved of. “Mako, do you and Bolin have a warm place to stay tonight? It’s supposed to get even colder.”

“We’ll be okay,” he said curtly, but his eyes said another story.

“Well, I was just thinking…you know we start cooking here rather early—well, the acolytes do at any rate. I need my sleep right now,” she laughed. “Anyway, we’ve been having some problems getting the oven pilot light lit, and sometimes it really slows us down. If we had a skilled firebender like yourself here when they got in, I think things might go much more easily, don’t you?”

“Well…”

“Now the thing is, Mako, that when I say early, I mean at daybreak. So it would really be good if you and your brother stayed here overnight so you’d be here right when you were needed. We have some bedding upstairs that you and he could use.” She smiled hopefully. “It would really, really be helpful if you could, Mako.”

“Well…” Mako pretended to consider the offer. “All right. I could do that, this once.”

“I knew I could count on you,” Pema nodded happily. “Well, let’s head upstairs…oh, before we do, I have some leftover soup sitting in that pot with the rest of the stale bread. If you wanted to warm the pot up and have that for dinner I’d be really grateful—I hate to have things go to waste. Thank you, Mako. You are such a good brother to Bolin and big help to me.”

“Okay,” he nodded with a bit more warmth and almost a hint of a smile. “And, uh…thank you, Mistress Pema. Maybe someday I can pay you back for helping us.”

“I’m sure you will, Mako,” Pema agreed. “I’m sure you will.”


End file.
